File Nine
by MusicMaker87
Summary: Naru takes on another case! This happens right after file eight from season one of the anime. I know there is a manga, but I'm not going off of that because I haven't read all of it yet. I can't summarize anything because I don't wanna give anything away! Sorry! :3 BUT there probably will be some Mai and Naru action. Enjoy the fanfic! MusicMaker87 :3
1. Part 1: Taking the Case

**MusicMaker87: Hey people! I bet I got some new fans now haha :3 Yup! This is a fanfic about Ghost Hunt! I'm going off from File Eight from Season One and calling this File Nine. Yes, I've read the manga, but this is going to be a little different. **

**This will be before the manga, but after file eight. Since, in the manga, Naru is leaving the hospital, it wouldn't make sense to have him in this story, but who would want to read this if Naru wasn't in it?! **

**So, because this is fan FICTION, this story and I are going to pretend that there isn't a manga, just for the sake of Naru :3**

**One more thing: I will be switching POVs (Points of view) from Mai's POV to Normal POV (which basically means third person omniscient). I ****MIGHT go into another character's POV just to get a point across, but it will mainly either be Mai's POV or Normal POV.**

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**Mai: What's going on?**

**MusicMaker87: You're going to be part of a fanfic :3**

**Mai: A fan what?**

**Naru: I'll explain this for Mai's sake...**

**Mai: * thinks to herself: Why does he always do that to me? -.-+ ***

**Naru: ... and that's a fanfic.**

**Mai: Wait what? * oh no! I forgot to listen! ***

**MusicMaker87: You guys are so funny :3**

**Naru: Hmph**

**Mai: Huh?**

**Ayako: Can we ****_please _****just move on to the story?**

**MusicMaker87: Oh yeah! But first, the disclaimer!**

**~~~~~Disclaimer: I do NOT own Ghost Hunt :c**

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**File Nine ~ Part One: Taking the Case**

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**Mai's POV_**

It's been three days since Naru got out of the hospital, and he's still grumpy as ever. Well, at least he's still the same old Naru. I wouldn't have it any other way.

I smiled.

It was Monday morning. Naru ordered me to make some tea, but apparently we were all out. I had to go all the way to the grocery store, and it was all because he couldn't settle for coffee!

_"Coffee doesn't settle well in my stomach. Go to the store and buy some tea." _He said that without any emotion at all.

_The nerve of some people! I mean, who does he think I am? Can't Lin go get it?! At least he can drive a car! _I angrily thought to myself as I stomped into the store.

As I was about to head into the aisle, I looked left and saw someone waving at me from the check out line.

"Monk?!" I shouted from across the store. I started walking towards him. Then I asked, "Why are you here?"

"Lin told me to go pick up some tea. He said that they were all out," he explained.

I put two of my fingers on my temple in frustration.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

I looked up at him and said, "Nothing. So you're taking this back to base right?"

"Uh, yeah," Takigawa replied.

"Mind if I come along? I'm going back there, too," I said.

"Sure, why not?" he smiled.

As we were heading towards the door, however, and older woman who looked like she was in her mid forties came up to us.

"Excuse me," she said, "Would either of you happen to know how to contact Shibuya Psychic Research?"

I blinked.

"Hey, we're from SPR, what's the problem?" Takigawa asked.

She looked down and hesitated, but then she said, "Children are dying."

My eyes widened.

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**Later ~~~ SPR Center ~~~ Normal POV_**

"So you're telling me that these children are throwing themselves into the lake?"

Naru looked at her intently.

She sadly nodded and said, "I don't know where else to turn. I've tried everything. Doctors, therapists, even other psychics. None of them could do it. None of them could save those poor kids!"

Mai's eyes wavered.

"Uh huh, and when did you first start to notice this?" Naru asked.

"I... At first I thought the children just liked to play in the water, and every fifteen minutes or so I'd go out and check on them until it was time for dinner..." she said.

"And then?" Naru asked.

"Well... then, accidents started to happen. I didn't really know how it happened, but when I came out there, three of the orphans were floating in the water, dead. The other kids were all crying, afraid that it would happen to them. I assured them that it wouldn't, and to be safe I hired a lifeguard." she answered.

"What was the life guard's name?" Naru asked.

The woman looked down, "Her name was Mei Hatsukana..."

"What happened to her?" Naru asked.

"One day, while I was doing some paper work, I heard a loud, shrill scream. I knew it was her, I knew it was Mei, but I couldn't get to her fast enough. When I found her, she had hand marks around her neck, and three more children had drowned." she said.

"Do you know who did this to her?" Naru asked.

The woman shook her head.

"Well, miss-" Naru started, but she interrupted him, "Will you take the case?"

The room was awkwardly silent.

"I'm sorry... I-" she started, but then Naru interrupted her, "Miss Katomata."

She was silent.

_I swear, if Naru doesn't take this case, I'm gonna pour tea all over his-_

"We'll take it." Naru said, breaking Mai's train of thought.

"You will?!" Miss Katomata shouted happily, "Oh, thank you so much!"

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**Mai's POV_**

After setting up the details about the case with Miss Katomata, she left.

Then, Naru came up to me and Monk.

"Takigawa, we're going to need all the help we can get. Call and see if any of the others can make it." Naru ordered.

"Yes, sir," he said sarcastically.

Naru started to walk away, but then I said, "Wait, what can I do?"

"You can go make some tea," he replied.

"Is that all I'm good for?" I muttered to myself as I trudged over to the counter.

After making the tea, I brought it over to Naru, who was reading a book.

"Set it there," he said without even gesturing.

I put it down on his desk.

"Soo..." I said.

"So what?" Naru continued to read.

"What made you decide to take this case?" I asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Naru asked.

"Well, to be honest, it looked like you were gonna say no to her," I replied.

"Hm." he continued to read.

I pouted.

Monk came into the room.

"Ayako and John can make it tomorrow. Masako will be there the day after," he said.

Naru replied, "Alright."

"Did you want me to call Yasuhara?" Monk asked.

"Yes, tell him to do some research on the Katomata Orphanage," Naru said.

"Alright," Monk walked back into the other room.

As they spoke, I'd started to drift off into a day dream. Of course, it was about Naru. He was smiling again. I'd only seen him smile once in real life. I wished he could do it again. Just one more time...

"Mai," Naru suddenly broke through my thoughts.

"Huh, what?" I asked. I'm pretty sure I was blushing.

"It's cold."

"What's cold?" I asked.

"The tea."

And for the second time that day, I pouted.

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**MusicMaker87: Well, I hope you guys liked the first chapter! There's definitely more to come!**

**Masako: Why did you make it so that I would come later in the story?**

**MusicMaker87: Because of your job. I thought that it would make more sense, ya know?**

**Masako: I suppose...**

**Mai: I'm gonna kill him! If he asks me to make tea for him one more time, I will kill him!**

**Takigawa: Whoa, whoa! Calm down, Mai!**

**Mai: I mean seriously! Is that all I'm good for?**

**John: No, there are lots of things you're good at, Mai.**

**Mai: Like what?**

**John: Like...**

**Takigawa: Having those dreams of yours! You're good at that!**

**John: Yeah! And you're pretty good at learning magic.**

**Mai: I guess...**

**John: Cheer up, Mai.**

**Takigawa: Yeah, you know he's just being Naru.**

**Naru: What's going on?**

**Everyone: NOTHING!**

**Naru: Hmmm...**

**MusicMaker87: Oh my gosh that was long! Anyway, on to the next chapter! (or part in this case)!**

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**NOTES: First of all, I'm sorry, but these chapters (parts) will be sort of short. Some, however, might be longer.**

**Second, Just in case you don't understand what I just did up there: I like to make the characters have a conversation before and after the chapters. It just gets me going when I write. It also makes you guys laugh :3 Well, I hope it does haha. **

**Anyway, you do NOT have to read those. They're just there for extra entertainment, and they have NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ACTUAL STORY. Ok? Cool!**

**Thanks for reading! Hope ya liked it!**

**~ MusicMaker87 :3**


	2. Part 2: Getting Settled In

**MusicMaker87: Hey guys! Guess what?**

**Mai: What?**

**MusicMaker87: CHAPTER TWO!**

**Mai: We already knew that..**

**MusicMaker87: Yeah I know, but aren't you excited?!**

**Mai: Uhh, sure.**

**MusicMaker87: Alright I get it, I get it. On to the disclaimer!**

**~~~~~~~Disclaimer: Own Ghost Hunt I do not. **

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**Part 2: Getting settled in**

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**April 7th ~~~ 9:00 AM ~~~ Normal POV_**

**Day 1**

The Katomata Orphanage wasn't as big as Mai thought it would be, however, it was a decent size of five small houses squished together to make one. It was a quiet, humble place that was no where near the city and had no traffic at all. It was surrounded by luscious, green trees. The grass was painted with brightly colored flowers that blew in the gentle wind.

The orphanage itself was a soft yellow. The shudders and the door were painted a dull white. The windows were smudged, and one of them had a crack in them. The window cells that should've been holding roses were holding dead twigs and dried up leaves. There was no sign of any children at all. Altogether, the home was old and dusty, and sort of creepy looking in Mai's opinion.

Behind the building was the lake. It shimmered in the sun's light as the small waves came up to kiss the sand.

_It seems so peaceful here.. _Mai thought to herself as her eyes trailed up and down the land.

"Mai, we're not here to admire the scenery. Get to work," Naru ordered her, breaking her thoughts.

"Right, sorry!" Mai apologized.

He walked away without replying.

Mai slugged back to the van and grabbed some of the equipment.

John came through the door of the building and headed over to Mai's side. He grabbed one of the cameras and then looked at Mai.

"Do you need help with anything, Mai?" he asked politely.

"Oh, no thanks," Mai slightly laughed, "I'm ok. Thanks for asking, though."

"No problem," John replied, "So... what do you think of the orphanage?"

"Me? ... I'm not much of a spiritualist, but I can tell that it definitely needs a good cleaning." Mai answered.

John laughed, "I'd have to agree with you."

Mai grabbed what she was looking for and turned around.

"Have you been inside yet?" he asked her.

"No, not yet," Mai replied.

"Here, let me show you," he said, leading her into the house, "When you first come inside, you'll be in the foyer. To the right, through the doorway, there's a living room and then some stairs. If you take the stairs up to the second floor and go all the way down to the last door at the end of the hallway to your left, you'll be in the office. That's where base is."

Mai nodded as they walked up the stairs. Once they reached the top, Mai looked around. The hallway was long. Mai turned left and started for the last door.

There were a lot of other doors in the hallway. Mai assumed those were the children's rooms. Everything seemed so quiet, though.

They opened the door and walked inside. They set the stuff down.

"Mai," Naru called her.

"Yeah?" Mai asked.

"Come here," he said.

"Right," she replied, walking over to him.

"I want you to go and meet the children. They're downstairs. I want you to let me know if you see any strange behavior," Naru said.

Mai nodded.

"Ayako," Naru said, looking at her.

"What," she asked.

"I want you to go with Mai," Naru ordered.

"Alright." she sighed.

"Good," he replied.

Ayako and Mai headed down the stairs and into the basement to find all of the children playing games.

"Aww, they're so cute," Mai said.

Miss Katomata came up to them, "I'm so thankful that you took this case. I just don't want to see any of these children get hurt."

"Don't worry, we won't give up on you," Mai assured her.

"Mai," Ayako said as she pointed to a young child, sitting in the corner, rocking back and forth.

Mai looked at him. All of the other children were having fun, but he was just sitting there.

"Excuse me, Miss Katomata, who is that?" Mai asked.

"Him? That's Daichi," she replied.

"What's he doing?" Ayako asked.

Miss Katomata sighed, "He's always been like that. He suffered having to watch his parents die right in front of him. He's lucky to even be alive, the poor thing."

"What happened?" Mai asked curiously.

"It was a robbery," Miss Katomata said, "Both of his parents were shot and killed. He was the only one who made it."

"Poor kid," Ayako said.

Mai stared at him. He continued to rock back and forth.

"Well, it looks ok then. Come on, Mai," Ayako said, starting for the stairs.

"You can go on ahead without me," Mai said.

"Mai? Are you sure?" Ayako asked.

"I'm sure," Mai replied.

"Alright," Ayako said, heading up the steps.

Mai walked towards the child who was sitting in the corner. She knelt down beside him and put her hand on his shoulder. He froze.

"Hi," Mai said gently, "I'm Mai. What's your name?"

He stayed in his position and didn't say anything.

"Are you there?" Mai asked.

He nodded slowly.

"It's ok. You can look at me," Mai said.

He slowly turned his head and looked up at her. Mai noticed that his eyes had dark circles around them from not getting enough sleep. Mai smiled.

"What's your name?" she asked again.

He continued to look at her, his dark hair covering some of his dark blue eyes. He opened his mouth, but then closed it again.

"It's ok, you can tell me," Mai said.

He looked down and whispered, "Daichi..."

"That's a nice name," Mai said.

"Thank.. you," he whispered.

"Do you want to play a game?" Mai asked.

"What kind of game?" he asked quietly.

"Any game that you wanna play," Mai smiled.

"Ok..." he said. He sat there quietly, thinking to himself: _What do I want to play? I don't know... Do I even want to play? ..._

"I don't know..." he answered.

"Hmm..." Mai put her finger to her lip in thought, and then said, "Oh I know! We can play cards."

"But... I don't know how to play cards," he said quietly.

"That's ok, I'll teach you," Mai replied. The other children looked at Mai with puzzlement, giving her strange looks, but Mai ignored it. Daichi nodded and let Mai show him how to play.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Ayako told Naru about the children and about Daichi.

"We'll have to keep a close eye on Daichi. Where's Mai?" Naru asked.

"She's downstairs with the kids," Ayako replied.

"Perfect. That will be her job for now," Naru decided.

John and Takigawa came into the room.

"We're all set up," Takigawa said.

"Good," Naru replied, "Now let's do some research."

They nodded.

Downstairs, Mai and Daichi finished their game. Mai let Daichi win.

Daichi looked at her and said, "Thanks for being so nice to me..."

"Oh yeah, sure," Mai smiled.

"What's your name again?" he asked.

"Oh, it's Mai," she replied.

"I'll remember you," he said.

Mai suddenly looked confused.

Then he yawned and walked away. He went up the stairs and then disappeared from Mai's sight.

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**MusicMaker87: So what did you guys think?**

**Mai: Why is he going to remember my name?**

**MusicMaker87: I don't know. He's just weird.**

**Mai: Hmmm.**

**MusicMaker87: Well anyway, I can't think of anything else to say because I'm tired and my head kinda hurts, so I'll end it here! Next chapter will be posted soon! Thanks for reading!**

**~ MusicMaker87 :3**


	3. Part 3: Three More and A Craving for Tea

**MusicMaker87: Hi guys! Sorry for not updating in a while. I have so many stories to keep up with, and I have a lot of homework and stuff as well. **

**Naru: That's understandable.**

**Mai: Yeah, it's ok.**

**MusicMaker87: Thanks :3 NOW, ON TO THE DISCLAIMER!**

**~~~~~~~~Disclaimer: When I own Ghost Hunt, my fans and I will have our own special abilities/super powers :3**

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**Part 3: Three More and A Craving for Tea**

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**Normal POV_**

Mai watched as Daichi disappeared from her sight. Suddenly, she was surrounded by the other kids.

"Whoa!" Mai exclaimed.

The children began to question her: "What's his name? How did you get him to talk? Can I play cards? Why did you talk to him? Isn't he weird?"

"Kids! Settle down now," Miss Katomata said calmly.

The children backed away from Mai. Miss Katomata walked up to her and said, "I'm so sorry about that."

"Oh, no, it's fine," Mai smiled nervously.

"Why don't you come upstairs for a bit; I can make you some tea," Miss Katomata offered.

"Oh sure," Mai said as she followed Miss Katomata up the stairs.

"Wait," Mai then stopped her, "Are you sure it's ok to leave them alone?"

Miss Katomata looked at her, "They'll be fine. They only act strange when they're outside."

_Outside? ... Why only the outside? _Mai asked herself in thought as they continued up the stairs.

They walked through the living room, through the foyer, and into the kitchen.

Miss Katomata then led Mai into the largest room in the entire building: the dining room. Most of the money earned went straight to this room because of all the chairs and tables.

She sat Mai down at the nearest table and told her she would return. Then she left into the kitchen.

Mai looked around. The room was huge! Yet, even though it was such a big room, Mai couldn't help but feel that it was still poor. The tables were the long, rectangular, fold-in kind that could pinch you when you tried to close or open them, and the chairs were the same way. The furniture altogether was a pale, dirty white with occasional stains from spilled juice and such.

_Wow, this place really looks worn... My guess is that Miss Katomata isn't making enough money to support the place. Maybe it has to do with the deaths of those children... _Mai's thoughts were suddenly broken when Miss Katomata returned with a warm cup of green tea.

Mai looked down at the cup that was put in front of her.

"I apologize, but I seem to have run out of sugar," Miss Katomata explained, "I hope that's ok."

"Oh, it's fine," Mai smiled at her. She looked back down at the cup and slowly brought it up to her lips. She blew on it a little and then took a sip.

"I wish I could do more," Miss Katomata sighed, "I really do. You have no idea how grateful I am to have you and your friends here, I-"

Mai stopped her, "Miss Katomata."

She was silent as Mai stood up.

"The tea is great. You don't have to worry about anything. It's our job. We won't quit on you just because you don't do enough for us. We're here to help," Mai put a reassuring hand on Miss Katomata's shoulder.

She closed her eyes and smiled. Then she looked at Mai, "Thank you."

Mai smiled.

"Hey Mai," Takigawa walked in, "Oh... sorry, am I interrupting?"

"No, it's fine," Mai said, taking her hand away from Miss Katomata's shoulder, "What's up?"

"Naru wants to talk to you," he said.

Mai nodded, and then she looked at Miss Katomata.

"You can take the tea with you, if you like," she said.

Mai smiled, "Thanks."

"No, thank _you_," Miss Katomata smiled back.

Mai grabbed the tea and went up to base. Takigawa went back to whatever he was doing.

"Close the door behind you."

Those were the first words Naru said to her as she came through the doorway.

Mai closed the door.

"Ok, so what's up?" Mai asked, still holding her tea.

Naru turned in his chair to face her. _(A/n he was originally facing the window behind him)._

"Where did you get that tea?" Naru asked.

"Oh, I got it from Miss Katomata," Mai replied.

"Give it to me." He demanded.

"What? No way! This is my tea!" Mai shouted, "Go get your own."

Naru suddenly coughed.

Mai stopped talking.

The cough sounded really bad.

"I... could go get you another one, if you want..." Mai offered.

"It can't wait," Naru said in a raspy voice.

Mai blushed as she walked over and handed her tea to him.

"So you know, I already drank from it... soo..." Mai said awkwardly.

"That doesn't matter," Naru replied, gulping down the tea.

_What's with him? He's been acting so strange, and this tea craving is kind of getting on my nerves. Is he sick? He doesn't look sick... _Mai thought to herself as she watched him finish her tea.

He set the cup down and coughed into his arm.

"Naru, are you o-" Mai started, but Naru interrupted her, "Mai."

Mai stepped back and blushed.

He looked up at her. There was a silence, and for a second, Mai thought he was going to ask for more, but...

"Thank you," he said.

"Uh, yeah no problem," Mai said as her blush became deeper shade of red. She turned around, embarrassed at the thought that he probably saw it, too.

Naru was about to say something when Ayako busted through the door.

"Mai, Naru, come quick! Hurry!" Ayako shouted urgently. Naru jumped out of the chair, and he and Mai both followed Ayako to the backyard where the lake was.

Mai's eyes widened.

"What's going on?" A voice was heard from behind Mai and Naru.

Mai turned around and saw Miss Katomata's hand go up to her mouth and her knees shake until she couldn't hold herself up any longer.

"Miss Katomata!" John shouted, trying to help her up. Takigawa went over to help John, but it was no use. She was already crying because of what she saw.

Mai turned back around and looked at the dead bodies of three orphaned children, floating in the water of the lake.

"Takigawa, John, get her out of here. Mai and Ayako, go check on the children inside the orphanage." Naru ordered.

They nodded and did their jobs.

_We've only been here less than a day, and it's already this dangerous, _Mai worried in her thoughts as she went with Ayako into the building. Naru stood there stiffly, staring at the dead bodies in the lake.

Mai could only wonder what was going through his head.

She and Ayako ran downstairs to check on the children. Right when they went into the basement, they noticed that the lights were off.

"Mai, feel the walls for a light switch," Ayako said.

Mai moved her hands around and hit something, "Found it!" She flipped the switch and the lights came back on.

Ayako made a confused look.

"Mai, there's no one here..." Ayako worried.

"Hold on, they couldn't have just disappeared..." Mai said, "That would be impossible... Right?"

Ayako stared into the distance, "I don't know... "

Suddenly, there was a banging on a door that was on the far left side of the room. It was the door to the closet.

"Oh my gosh!" Mai exclaimed as she ran over to the door. She tried to pull it open but it wouldn't budge.

Ayako ran over to her and said, "Try pushing it!"

Mai tried that, too, but it didn't work. She pulled it again.

"Ayako, help me!" Mai shouted.

"I'll try!" Ayako replied.

They pulled until the door finally opened, making them fly back. When they looked at the doorway, there was Daichi. His eyes were blindfolded and his mouth was duct taped. His hands were tied behind his back.

"Daichi!" Mai ran over to him and helped untie him. Ayako walked past her and turned on the light to the closet. There, the rest of the children were in the same state that Daichi was.

Ayako began helping them as well.

After Mai took off Daichi's blindfold and untied him, she said, "This is gonna hurt a little, ok?"

Daichi nodded.

Mai slowly and gently pulled off the duct tape. Daichi winced at the pain, but Mai held on to his hand as she continued to pull it off.

Once it was off, Mai asked, "Are you ok?"

Daichi nodded.

She smiled, "Good."

"Are you ok?" Daichi asked quietly.

Mai looked at him and replied, "I'm ok. Let's go help the others."

He nodded and followed her into the closet.

* * *

**Upstairs in the Foyer ~~~ With John, Takigawa, and Miss Katomata ~~~ Normal POV_**

"Just calm down and breathe, it's going to be alright," Takigawa said.

Miss Katomata tried, but she couldn't bring herself to calm down after what had happened for the third time.

"Yeah, it's alright," John said, patting her shoulder, "Don't cry."

But Miss Katomata couldn't help herself. She continued to cry.

"Why!" she whined helplessly, "Why does this have to happen?!"

"It doesn't."

The boys turned around to see Naru standing in the doorway.

She continued to cry.

Naru looked at them for a moment, and then went downstairs.

"Hey wait, what're we going to do with-" Takigawa started, but John shushed him before he could say dead bodies.

Miss Katomata finished the sentence in her head, however, and sobbed even louder.

Naru didn't answer them, though, he went downstairs to see what happened to the rest of the children. When he got down there, the children were all relaxed and had gone back to playing. In the middle of the room stood Mai and Ayako, both of them playing Daichi and a young girl named Sara, who decided to join them.

Naru walked over to Mai and asked, "What happened?"

Mai looked down at Sara and Daichi, and then back to Naru.

"I'll be right back," Mai said before walking over to the stairs and sitting down with Naru. They both sat on the same step, making them close to each other and leaving only an inch or two of personal space.

"Alright. We found the children locked up in that room over there. I think it's a storage closet because of the size of it. Anyhow, they were all tied up, and their mouths and eyes were covered up," Mai explained.

"I see," Naru said.

There was a moment of silence.

"Naru..." Mai said.

"What is it?" Naru asked.

"I think there was a supernatural force that was keeping Ayako and me from opening the door..." Mai said.

Naru was silent.

A minute passed.

Mai looked at Naru.

He was staring at the floor.

"Naru?" Mai asked.

He didn't reply.

"Naru!" Mai shouted.

He suddenly glared at Mai, making her back away.

"What, Mai, is there more?" he asked.

Mai shook her head no.

"Then you can leave," Naru said plainly.

Mai pouted as she looked at him. Then she stood up and walked back over to Ayako, Daichi, and Sara. They continued their game as Naru watched their every move.

It was now evening. Miss Katomata's chef, who had been at the market to buy some ingredients, came back to make dinner.

Naru sat there watching Mai.

_She might have a temper, but she's really good with kids... _Naru thought to himself. Suddenly feeling embarrassed of his own thought, he continued his thought: _That makes her job perfect, I mean. She can take care of them, while keeping a close eye on Daichi. If she can do that, then this will be much easier._

"No." he said quietly to himself, "It's not going to be easy..."

Takigawa came down the stairs and stood in front of Naru.

"Naru, what should we do with Miss Katomata?" Takigawa asked.

"There's nothing we can do right now," Naru replied.

"What about the kids?" He asked.

"Hmmm. Here's the plan. You and Mai will take watch in the hallway upstairs. Make sure no one goes down stairs. Ayako and John will watch the front door from the inside to make sure no one leaves the orphanage. Lin and I will stay at base." Naru explained.

"Got it," Takigawa nodded and went upstairs to tell John.

* * *

**In the Dining Room ~~~ Normal POV_**

The team had a table to themselves that was near the kitchen. The chef served soup, bread, and apples. Naru explained to them the plans. They all nodded and agreed.

"I just hope nothing happens to these poor kids," Mai said sadly.

"Yeah, I don't think Miss Katomata can take much more of this," Takigawa agreed.

"How many have died now?" Ayako asked quietly.

"Nine," Takigawa replied.

There was a silence that Mai assumed was out of respect for the children who've died so far.

"We have to be alert tonight. I don't want anyone getting hurt. It would only cause more grief, especially to Miss Katomata," John said.

They nodded in agreement.

Mai was about to eat some of her soup when she noticed Naru's bowl was still full.

"Naru," Mai said.

He looked at her.

"Y'know, soup is good for your throat," she said.

"I'm not very hungry..." Naru replied.

Mai pouted as she thought to herself, _the food isn't _that _bad._

* * *

**After Dinner ~~~ Normal POV_**

Miss Katomata and the chef stayed in their own rooms while Ayako and John were in the foyer. Takigawa and Mai stood on each end at the top of the stairs. Lin and Naru watched the screens at base.

Everyone was where they were supposed to be, but the question is: Are they prepared for what's to come?

* * *

**MusicMaker87: BOOM! DONE! AAAND IT'S A CLIFFY!**

**Mai: Aww come on! I was so ready!**

**MusicMaker87: I'm so sorryyyy! I had to, otherwise this part would've been WAY too long.**

**Mai: Well, yeah... I guess you're right.**

**MusicMaker87: I know I'm right! Anyway, this chapter is a total of 2,445 words! I'm so proud! I really hope you guys liked reading it! TO THE NEXT CHAPTER! MUSH!**

**~ MusicMaker87 :3**


	4. Part 4: Laughter

**MusicMaker87: Hello Hello Hello! I'm back! Actually... it hasn't really been that long! **

**Masako: Do I get to be in this chapter? **

**MusicMaker87: I... have no idea.**

**Masako: Oh...**

**MusicMaker87: I'm sorry XP I don't know what I'm gonna write until I write it, sooo...**

**Masako: It's alright. **

**MusicMaker87: Cool :3 NOW, TO THE DISCLAIMER!**

**~~~~~~~~Disclaimer: When I own Ghost Hunt, giraffes will grown wings!**

* * *

**Part Four: Laughter**

* * *

**Normal POV_**

They were all in their positions. Everything grew dark and quiet. Mai looked around nervously, but she tried not to act like she was afraid. Monk put his hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, slightly startled. He smiled. Mai gave him a small, nervous smile.

_(A/n: I'm going to call him Monk now, instead of Takigawa, because it's easier to type :3 )_

"Mai, you don't have to be afraid," Monk whispered, "I'm here."

She then gave him a real smile.

It suddenly got colder.

Mai shivered.

"Temperature drop..." Monk whispered.

From downstairs, Ayako and John could feel it too.

John began to feel the wall, and then the door. The door was freezing.

"Something... is coming in," he whispered to Ayako.

Her eyes widened, "Well, we can't let that happen."

"But we don't have anything with us!" John whispered in fright.

Back upstairs, Mai looked at Monk as she thought to herself, _it's getting colder..._

"Mai, you're really shivering, are you alright?" Monk asked.

"I'm... fine," she chattered her teeth.

Suddenly, she felt a hand touch her shoulder. She looked, but it wasn't Monk's hand this time.

She gasped.

"Mai!" Monk shouted, seeing the almost transparent hand grasp her shoulder. He reached over quickly to swap it away, but the hand left her shoulder and disappeared.

She began to warm up.

"Are you ok?" Monk asked

Mai nodded, "I feel warm again."

Monk breathed, "That's good."

Then there was a shrill scream from downstairs.

"Should we go check it out?" Mai asked.

"No, we have to stay here to make sure no one gets out," Monk replied.

Mai looked down the stairs anxiously.

Downstairs, John was trying to calm Ayako down.

"What did you see?" John kept asking.

She kept breathing heavily and whining.

"Ayako," John held her still, each of his hands on each shoulder.

"John... I saw a child..." Ayako said shakily.

"A child?" John asked.

"Yes," she nodded, "But..."

There was a silence before she continued, "She was bloody... and bruised..."

"Where did you see her?" John asked.

She pointed to the living room. John looked over there, but he didn't see anyone.

"That's where I saw her," Ayako said, "she's gone now..."

"Well, as long as she didn't leave the house, she'll be fine..." John replied.

"I know... " Ayako agreed.

As Naru watched from base, he had seen the child, too.

"This child isn't real," Naru said to Lin, "And it's not afraid to show itself either."

Lin's eyes narrowed.

Then, the whole house fell silent. Everything was uneasily calm. Mai agreed that this silence was unsettling, and she decided that it wasn't over yet.

Everyone stayed in there spot as the minutes went by.

An hour passed.

They were sitting down now. Mai, Monk, Ayako, and John were almost falling asleep from boredom.

"Why would it just stop?" Naru wondered, "Something isn't right."

Mai hugged her knees.

"Mai..." Monk whispered.

"Hmm?" she asked.

"You can't fall asleep yet... I know it's hard, but you gotta try," he said.

Mai looked up to the ceiling, eyes open.

"What do you think about all this?" Mai asked him.

"I don't really know," he replied, "It could be anything..."

"Maybe the ghost has a grudge on Miss Katomata?" Mai asked.

"Maybe, but we can't just jump to conclusions," he said.

"I know," she said, looking down at the floor. She sighed.

Another hour passed.

Mai was about to fall asleep when she thought she heard something. She looked around. Down each hallway, she saw nothing but darkness.

She sighed, thinking that she might just be hearing things.

Then she heard it again.

It sounded like laughter. A child's laughter.

Mai looked around again.

"Monk," Mai whispered, but when she looked to where Monk was, he wasn't there. Everything started to glow.

Mai's brows furrowed as she stood up and looked around some more. The laughter seemed to be coming from the right side of the hallway.

Mai stared down the dark hallway before slowly walking towards it. She continued to walk until she reached the last door on the left side.

The laughter was coming from the room.

Mai knocked on the door. The laughter ceased. She reached for the doorknob, grabbed it, and slowly turned it. She opened the door gently and poked her head through the door.

There was no one inside.

Mai looked around the room. She saw a bed, some toys on the ground, some shelves, and a window. It looked just like any other room in the house for the children.

Only... it didn't feel right, almost like it hadn't been used in years, or that it didn't even exist at all.

Mai turned and looked at the corner behind the door. Sure enough, there was a young child, sitting and hugging her knees.

"Oh my gosh, are you alright?" Mai asked. The child didn't reply. Mai looked at the child and saw blood on her arms. Her eyes widened as the child pulled a knife out of her pocket and began to slice her arms even more.

"Hey! Stop that!" Mai shouted.

The girl dropped the knife and began to cry. Suddenly, a woman was in the room. She looked kind of like Miss Katomata.

"How many times do I have to tell you this! You brat!" The woman yelled, taking away the knife. Then she hit the young girl. Mai's eyes wavered.

"Stop! Please..." Mai cried.

The woman continued to beat the child, and then she left. The child was on the floor, crying. She was bruised and bloody.

The child slowly stood up. She walked towards the window and looked out towards the lake.

"No..." Mai said.

The child turned around and looked straight at Mai. Mai's eyes widened.

She jumped. Mai ran over to the window and watched the girl crawl towards the lake.

"Mai."

Mai turned around to see Dream Naru, looking at her calmly.

"It's a dream..." Mai said.

Dream Naru smiled.

"Naru... the child... she committed suicide in the lake..." Mai whispered shakily.

"Mai," Dream Naru walked up to her and put his hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him. He smiled at her and said, "You have to wake up now, Mai."

Mai blinked, "Wake up?"

"Wake up, Mai... Wake up," Dream Naru repeated.

Mai felt her eye lids starting to close.

She watched as Dream Naru's smiling face slowly disappeared.

When she opened her eyes again, it was Monk who was trying to wake her up, along with Ayako and John. They were at base.

"How long was I asleep..." Mai asked.

"About an hour," Naru answered.

"Did you have one of your dreams, Mai?" John asked.

Mai looked up at the ceiling.

She nodded.

"Well tell us," Monk said.

"There was a suicide... of a young girl," Mai said.

Naru's eyes narrowed.

"We know that," Monk said, "but did anything else happen?"

"Wait, you knew?" Mai asked. She looked up at them, and then she noticed Yasuhara standing above her too.

Yasuhara scratched his head and smiled, "Yeah, I brought some research with me to help you guys out."

"Oh hey, it's nice to see you again," Mai smiled.

He laughed, "Nice to see you too, Mai.

Naru's eyes narrowed again, "So did anything happen?"

"Oh, right... Well, there was an old woman who was beating the girl... and then after she left, the girl jumped out the window and crawled into the lake." Mai said.

"Hmmm." Naru thought to himself.

After a moment of silence, Naru suddenly said, "You should get some rest. We can continue this tomorrow."

"Huh? But what about the kids?" Mai asked.

"I'll stay up and watch," Naru replied.

"Me too," Lin said.

"But Naru..." Mai said, thinking that it wasn't fair if he didn't get any sleep.

"Mai, I'll be fine. You should get some sleep. So far, you've proven yourself useful to us because of your dreams," Naru said.

Mai pouted. Everyone but her had gotten up and went down into the living room where Miss Katomata had left them some blankets.

Naru looked at her as he held out his hand to her. Mai blushed and took it.

_Maybe I'm still dreaming... _Mai thought to herself as she stood up. Not realizing how tired she was until then, Mai accidentally stumbled into Naru. Naru planted his feet down and caught her.

Mai looked up at him, embarrassed.

"Sorry..." she nervously said, pulling away from him.

"Just try to be more careful," Naru replied.

She laughed awkwardly as she said, "Oh yeah, I will. Goodnight!" She closed the door behind her.

Once they were sure she was gone, Lin said, "What a strange girl."

"Hmm," Naru hummed in agreement.

Mai was about to walk downstairs when she stopped in her tracks. The candles were lit up in the hallway and downstairs, too. Mai could see the end of the hallway only slightly. She squinted her eyes at the spot where she was right outside the room in her dream.

Then she noticed something.

There was no door.

Sweat dropped from Mai's head as she thought to herself, _I must be really tired... I should go downstairs and get some sleep now._

She went down the stairs and met with her friends.

"I saved a place for you, Mai," Ayako said, pointing to a spot on the floor.

"Oh thanks, Ayako," Mai smiled.

"No problem," she replied.

Mai lied down next to Ayako. Ayako was on Mai's left, and to Mai's right was the stairs that went into the playroom. She wasn't that close to the stairs, but that's what was there.

Next to Ayako was a space that she made clear was going to stay there. Next to that space was Monk, next to Monk was John, and next to John was Yasuhara.

They all said their good nights. Mai stared at the stairs' entrance. It was dark.

She began to close her eyes, and slowly but surely drifted off into sleep.

* * *

**MusicMaker87: MUA HA HA HA! **

**Monk: What's with the creepy laugh?**

**MusicMaker87: I dunno. But you're welcome, my fans! It's not much of a cliffy :C **

**Random Fan Person: YAY! NO CLIFF HANGER!**

**MusicMaker87: Well, there's definitely more to come. And I'm so sorry Masako, but you aren't in the story yet xP**

**Masako: It's alright. I know I will come soon.**

**MusicMaker87: Yupp! Probably in the next chapter or two!**

**Masako: * nods ***

**MusicMaker87: Well, I hope you liked it! I will continue to write, but I'm going to my grandparents' house today! Thanks so much for reading!**

**MORE CHAPTERS TO COME!**

**~ MusicMaker87 :3**


	5. Part 5: Bad Dreams or Horrifying Reality

**MusicMaker87: ALRIGHT! LET'S DO THIS!**

**Ayako: What are we doing?**

**MusicMaker87: THE FIFTH CHAPTER!**

**Ayako: Oh yeah. **

**MusicMaker87: Mhm! BY THE WAY, I'm sorry if there is some OOCness in my characters. I kind of noticed it in Mai, just a little bit. Also in Naru. But hey, no one is perfect. :P I'll try my best**

**Mai: Hey don't worry about it. We all love your story.**

**MusicMaker87: Thanks Mai :)**

**Mai: * nods ***

**MusicMaker87: Well, ON TO THE DISCLAIMER, MY FELLOW LAD OR LASSY!**

**~~~~~~~~Disclaimer: When I own Ghost Hunt, my imperfections will be perfected.**

* * *

**Part 5: Bad Dreams, or a Horrifying Reality?**

* * *

**Normal POV_**

Mai woke up with a sudden jolt. She sat up quickly, her heart racing faster than it should be. She breathed quick, short breaths as little droplets of sweat appeared on her forehead.

Was it morning?

No.

Did Mai have a night mare?

Yes.

Was Mai completely scared out of her mind?

Uh huh.

Mai looked around. The room was dark, and everyone was still asleep. She wondered if Naru and Lin had fallen asleep, too. Curiously, she stood up and tip-toed towards the stairs. It was hard to see, though, and she tripped over something. She fell to the ground with a loud thud that somehow failed to wake anyone up.

She turned to see why she fell and noticed a small, black book. She picked it up. It had no title.

It was dusty, just like everything else was in the Katomata orphanage. Mai brushed some of it off. As she went to open it, she noticed it was locked.

"Hmmm," She hummed to herself in thought, "Maybe Naru will know what to do."

She slowly stood up, and, just as she took another step, there was a loud, crashing sound that came from the base upstairs.

_Naru...? _Mai asked herself in thought.

Mai instinctively bolted up the steps and raced down the hallway. She opened the door.

"What happened?" Mai asked.

But before she could be answered, she realized something...

There was no one in the room.

"Ok... this has to be a dream..." Mai thought to herself out loud. She looked around some more, stepping into the room.

The door slowly closed behind her.

"It's not a dream, Mai," Naru's voice said to her.

"Naru?" Mai looked behind her.

It was he who closed the door.

"What're you doing?" Mai asked as he came closer to her. Suddenly, she felt cold hands grab her shoulders from behind her. They were Lin's hands.

"Mai, you need to get out of here," Lin said.

"What? Why? What's going on?" Mai asked.

"It doesn't matter, but you need to leave now," Lin said.

"No one is leaving," Naru told them as he blocked the door.

Lin pulled Mai and brought her behind him. Then he whispered to her, "I'm going to get him out of the way. You do what you have to do to get out of here."

"Lin..." Mai whispered in fright.

"Ready?" he asked her.

Mai was silent, but she nodded.

"Don't listen to him, Mai," Naru said.

Lin looked at her before sprinted towards Naru. Naru's eyes narrowed as he pushed his hand out and pressed it against Lin's chest. Lin went flying.

"Lin!" Mai shouted.

"G- get out... Mai... run," Lin said, but it was too late.

Naru was already after her.

"Is he... possessed?" Mai thought out loud. She ran behind the desk to where Lin was. He lied on the ground in pain. Naru was coming up behind her.

"Lin are you ok?" Mai asked.

"Behind you," Lin said.

Mai turned around and noticed Naru's arms snaking around her neck. He pulled her away from Lin.

Mai screamed.

* * *

**Downstairs in the Living room ~~~ Normal POV_**

There was a loud scream, and everyone downstairs heard it. Monk and John looked at each other.

"Ayako, you protect Yasuhara, we'll only be gone for a minute," Monk said.

"Wait, what?" Ayako asked.

"Thanks Ayako, we know we can count on you," John waved to her as he and Monk ran up the stairs and towards the base.

They tried to open the door, but it was locked shut.

* * *

**In base ~~~ Normal POV_**

"Naru, let me go!" Mai tried to escape his grip. His arms were now around her waste.

Naru was silent. After pulling Mai far away from Lin, he let her go.

Mai turned around to look at him and then shouted at him foolishly, "GET OUT OF HIM!"

Then... she did the only she knew how to do.

She did what Monk told her she shouldn't do.

She used magic.

"On nōmaku sanmanda basaradan kan! On nōmaku sanmanda basaradan kan!"

After shouting the words to the spell at Naru, she used her arm to make lines in the air. She was using the Nine Cuts on Naru.

"Rin! Pyo! To! Sha! Kai! Jin!"

Naru stood there, watching her as she was almost about to finish.

"Retsu! Zai!"

"Zen!" she shouted the last word and looked up at him, only to find that...

Naru was still standing.

Mai's eyes widened in shock. Did she say the chant wrong? Why wasn't he moving?

A figure slowly started to creep up behind Mai.

"I'm offended, Mai," Naru came up to her, "You thought I was the one possessed?"

Mai's eyes widened as he suddenly grabbed her arms and pulled her out of the way. Then he hit the figure who was about to hurt her.

The figure was...

"Lin?!" Mai shouted.

Lin fell to the ground.

Suddenly, the door busted down, and John and Monk did their exorcisms.

"On nōmaku sanmanda basaradan kan! ..."

"In the beginning, there was the Word! ..."

The ghost eventually trembled and fled.

Mai's eyes wavered in confusion. _It was Lin... _

"I need you two to put him over there, on that table," Naru pointed.

John and Monk nodded and went to do what Naru ordered them to do.

"I'm so glad we were able to make it on time," Monk said as he helped John lift Lin off the ground.

"Yeah, if it wasn't for Mai's scream, we wouldn't even be awake," John agreed.

Naru turned and looked at Mai.

"Naru..." Mai said quietly, "I'm... I'm so sorry..."

His face showed no emotion what so ever, but Mai could see the hurt in his eyes. As she did the Nine Cuts, she saw it in him as well. She knows that Naru does a good job at hiding his feelings, but somehow, just for a moment, she felt like she could see through him. She thought she saw the real Naru. Just for a second, Mai had grasped on to what she knew was his inner feelings that he so desired to hide.

A tear trickled down her cheek. Naru continued to look at her.

"Mai.." he whispered.

She looked up at him. Her eyes slightly quivered as they made eye contact.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Don't be sorry. You were protecting yourself," Naru said.

"Yeah, but I could've hurt you!" Mai shouted.

Naru stared at her. Her eyes were wide, and almost filled to the brim with tears.

He smiled.

Mai stepped back.

_This has to be a dream, _Mai thought to herself.

Naru's smile disappeared.

"You should probably get some-" Naru started, but Mai interrupted him, suddenly blinking away her tears and pointing an accusing finger at him, "No way! You're the one who needs some sleep!"

Naru sighed.

"Sleep doesn't sound too bad," he said, agreeing with her. He obviously wasn't in the mood to argue at that point.

_He's agreeing with me now? _she asked herself in thought, _this seriously can't be real..._

Lin opened his eyes slowly.

"What... what happened?" Lin asked as he sat up, "what am I doing on a table?"

Naru looked at him and blankly stated, "You were possessed."

"I was... possessed?" Lin asked.

"Yeah man, luckily no one was hurt," Monk replied.

"I apologize," Lin said firmly, "I'll try to be more careful."

Naru nodded, "Apology accepted."

"Where are you two going to sleep?"

They all looked at the doorway.

It was Ayako, and behind her was Yasuhara.

"We'll sleep in here," Naru said.

"Oh no you don't! I think we should all stick together, so no one gets possessed again," Mai stated.

Naru closed his eyes and sighed in annoyance.

"I mean... you're the boss, you do what you want! heheh," Mai laughed nervously.

Lin looked at Naru and said, "She has a point."

Naru looked at the floor. His stomach was turning. What was this feeling? Why was he having it now? Was he nervous?

"I guess that would be fine," Naru replied.

Lin nodded.

They all smiled, except for Lin and Naru of course, and then headed back downstairs to grab the blankets. Lin suggested that they'd all sleep in the base instead, making it a little safer.

Unfortunately, for Naru, the room was small.

Lin decided he liked the table, so that's where he slept.

Ayako found her own little spot near the wall and made sure everyone understood her personal bubble.

Yasuhara slept near the desk, and next to him was John. Next to John was Monk. _(A/n: Don't get any weird ideas :P They have a nice, decently sized space between each other.)_

Mai slept near the corner on the other side of the room, opposite of Ayako's side. She was on the same side that Lin slept, only a little further away. She didn't sleep next to anyone.

It was just her and the corner.

Next to Lin, and also on the ground, was Naru. He was near Mai, but not close enough to whisper into her ear.

Wait a minute... Why would he care if he was able to whisper into her ear?

Naru argued with himself in his mind, _This is ridiculous. I don't even need to be able to whisper to her. What would I even have to say?_

**_Maybe you have an interesting question to ask her... a question that involves two people going somewhere to eat or watch a movie, perhaps?_**

_Shut up. There's no way that would ever happen. I need to stay focused on the job. I can't let her distract me._

**_Oh, but you _want_ to be distracted, don't you?_**

_What?_

**_Oh, I know! Maybe it's not that you want to whisper to her..._**

_What are you trying to say?_

**_Maybe you want to touch... The feel of her light skin on your finger tips as you brush her brown locks away from her pretty face, hmmm?_**

_Stop it._

**_You aren't denying it, are you? Just imagine, her warm breath tickling your face as you lean in and press your lips unto hers. The warm sensation heats your whole body up, and soon enough, you're already-_**

_STOP IT. I don't want to think about her like that. Just leave me alone._

**_But I was getting to the good part.._**

_No, you were just making it worse. _

**_Whatever. You'll have to face your feelings eventually, and we'll see what happens then..._**

Naru scrunched up his face in anger, but he quickly shook it off when he noticed that Mai was still awake. She sighed, almost loudly, like she was waiting for something to happen.

Naru's brows furrowed.

_Why isn't she asleep yet? _he asked himself in thought, _why aren't I asleep yet?_

**_I don't know, you tell me._**

_Hey, didn't I tell you to go away?_

**_Oh, right. Sorry._**

_I should really stop talking to myself..._

Naru looked up and noticed that Mai was sitting now. She stretched her arms out like a dog, absentmindedly showing off some cleavage.

He looked away.

_Why me? _he asked himself in thought, _This is stupid._

Mai yawned.

Then she looked down.

"Naru..." she whispered.

He looked up at her, but she wasn't looking at him. She was looking at her knees. Her face had sadness written all over it.

"I'm so sorry..." she whimpered to herself.

_Is she talking to me? _he asked himself in thought as he listened.

"I was so stupid..." she continued.

Naru's eyes narrowed in slight anger.

"You're not stupid Mai."

Mai gasped.

The words just slipped right out of his mouth. Naru, upon realizing this, punished himself inside his head.

_Great... Well, I may as well sit up, now that she knows I'm awake. _he thought to himself.

He slowly sat up.

Mai was speechless.

"Why would you say that," Naru looked at her.

She brought her hands up to her mouth to keep herself from crying.

He scooted himself over to her and continued to look at her.

"Naru... I.. I almost hurt you," she whispered.

"You're still worried about that?" Naru said.

She nodded in embarrassment.

"Don't be." he said.

"But I am..." she calmed down a bit, putting her hands back down to her sides.

"Mai." Naru said.

There was a silence. She looked at him.

He could see the sorrow and fear in her eyes.

He sighed.

"Come here."

Naru held his hand out to her.

"Naru..." she said as she took it.

He squeezed her hand as he said, "You don't have to worry. It had no effect on me."

"But what if it did?" Mai asked.

"If it did, you would've saved the both of us," Naru stated blankly.

"But it would hurt you..." she said, "I just... don't want to hurt you."

Naru smiled.

_Am I still in a dream? _Mai asked herself in thought, _What's with Naru smiling all the time? There's definitely something wrong with him._

He pulled her into a hug.

Mai's eyes widened as she blushed.

"You won't hurt me," he said.

Mai closed her eyes and hugged him back.

Then, she remembered the book she found after she tripped.

She pulled away from him and pulled it out.

"I almost forgot. I found this downstairs," Mai said, handing it to him.

He took it and looked it over.

Naru's eyes narrowed.

"Good job, Mai," he said.

Mai smiled; her tears dried.

"We'll open it tomorrow," he said, placing it on the desk.

Mai nodded.

He yawned silently and laid down. He faced her at first, but then he rolled over to face the ceiling.

She lied down, too, and faced the ceiling.

"Naru?"

"What is it?" he asked.

"Thanks."

Mai closed her eyes. _If _this_ wasn't a dream, _she thought to herself, _then I can't wait to see what my dreams will bring me tonight._

* * *

**MusicMaker87: Well, I hope you liked it! Again, sorry for the OOCness! Especially in NARU! But, you know, I have to get the moment spurring somehow :P**

**Naru: You were not entirely accurate with my thoughts, but...**

**MusicMaker87: * evil smirk * but what?**

**Naru: Nothing. Never mind.**

**MusicMaker87: Okaay! If you say so :P Thanks for reading my fellow fans! See you in the next chapter!**

**~ MusicMaker87 :3**


	6. Part 6: Open Sesame!

**MusicMaker87: Hi guys! Sorry it's been a while. Lucky for you, I get to stay home today because I have to watch my little sis :3**

**Masako: Wait, then why are you here? Shouldn't you be watching her?**

**MusicMaker87: I thought it would be good to get some writing done while she sleeps, soo here I am! Don't think I'm irresponsible, I have my door open and unlocked in case she needs me :P**

**Masako: Well, I wasn't trying to put it that way...**

**MusicMaker87: Good :3 NOW! I'm sure you're anxious to be a part of this story, so let's move on the Disclaimer!**

**~~~~~~~~Disclaimer: When I own Ghost Hunt, my fans and I will go see fireworks together on a random night, sharing popcorn and candy :3**

* * *

**Part Six: Open Sesame!**

* * *

**Normal POV_**

"As far as we know, this ghost likes to use possession to carry out its goal, whatever that may be. Mai found this last night, and we think it might have some answers in it. We'll let you know as soon as possible."

Naru finished his speech-like announcement and dismissed Miss Katomata and the chef.

The members of the SPR stayed.

After the doors closed, Naru allowed Yasuhara to give them some information, "We now have evidence that the woman who was the lifeguard here, Mei Hatsukana, is still alive." He held up the research papers as he said that, and continued, "She was found with hand marks around her neck, but whoever did it to her failed to kill her. She was still slightly breathing. Shortly after being released from the hospital, she left town and moved far enough away most likely so that she wouldn't have to remember this place again."

"So we need to find this girl, right?"

Masako stood at the door with a small, devious smile on her face.

"That's right," Yasuhara fixed his glasses, "She probably has more info about this place than we do, Miss Hara."

"Then it is settled. Naru and I will go to see her and interrogate her," Masako replied.

"Uhh," Yasuhara scratched the back of his head as he said, "If you don't mind, I'd like to come along too."

Naru's eyes traveled from Masako's to Yasuhara's. He sighed and said, "Alright. Let's get moving. We can't waste any more time."

"Wait, but Naru! What about the book?" Mai cut in, reminding Naru of her finding.

His eyes narrowed at her, "You and the others will have to figure it out without me. I'd actually like to see what this 'Mei' has to say."

Mai looked down in disappointment.

"Come on, like you said, let's not waste any more time. I'm sure you guys will get it, and I wish you the best of luck!" Yasuhara said as he opened the door for Naru and Masako.

Naru walked through first, followed closely by Masako, who gave Mai an 'are you jealous?' face. Mai pouted.

The door closed behind the three of them.

"So... how are we gonna get this thing open anyway?" Monk asked.

Ayako shrugged in defeat, "Don't ask me."

They all sat there in silence, thinking to themselves.

"I don't understand why we don't just try to pick the lock," Ayako said.

"Well, considering that this book might have some answers in it, I don't think it's gonna be that easy," Monk replied.

"Hey, I know, what if we cast an unlocking spell on it? It might work if we give it a try," John suggested.

"An unlocking spell? What, like 'open sesame'?" Ayako asked sarcastically.

"No. There are actually a few ancient spells that were used to unlock certain things, but it only works if a locking spell was placed on it in the first place," Monk explained, "I'm not sure if it'll work, but I guess it couldn't hurt."

"Just do it already," Ayako urged him with a bored expression.

"Alright," Monk said, rubbing his hands together, "Ake, mezameru, Rokku o kaijo shi, jibun jishin o hyōji!"

Ayako stared at him with a blank expression, "Really?"

"What? You have a problem with my chant?" Monk asked.

"All you did was speak in Japanese and told the lock to open itself. Anyone could've done that," Ayako replied.

Monk sighed, "I didn't want to waste a real spell on something when I knew it wouldn't work."

"You didn't have to," John looked at him, "if you knew it wasn't going to work you could've just said so, and we'd believe you."

"Well, most of us," Ayako replied.

Monk's attention suddenly turned to Mai.

She sat there, looking down at her knees in frustration. Her mind was replaying what Masako said:

_"Then it is settled. Naru and I will go to see her and interrogate her," Masako replied._

**_Stupid..._**

_His eyes narrowed at her, "You and the others will have to figure it out without me. I'd actually like to see what this 'Mei' has to say."_

**_Greedy little..._**

_Naru walked through first, followed closely by Masako, who gave Mai an 'are you jealous?' face._

**_JERK!_**

Mai's fists clenched tightly; the veins popped out of her arms, showing her anger.

"Um, Mai?" Monk asked.

She suddenly relaxed, realizing that she was acting this way in front of her friends.

"Are you alright?" John asked her.

"I'm fine," Mai replied, looking up and faking a small smile.

"Are you sure?" Monk looked at her intently.

Mai nodded, "Yeah."

"Well, do you have any ideas on how to open this thing?" John asked.

Mai took the book from Monk and looked at it. Then she turned around, took a bobby pin out of Ayako's hair making Ayako say "hey!" in protest, stuck it in the key hole, and heard a tiny POP!

She pulled off the lock and handed the lock to Monk, and then she handed the bobby pin back to Ayako.

"See, I told you so," Ayako said, looking away from them as she fixed her hair, "but no! Let's not listen to what Ayako has to say!"

Monk sat there uneasily, not wanting to admit defeat. He sighed and said, "I'm sorry for not listening..."

"And?" she pressed him on.

"And, thanks I guess?" Monk looked at her.

"Close enough," she shrugged, "Now when are you going to open that book, Mai?"

Mai looked down at the cover that was once plain black.

It now had writing on it, that seemed to be painted in blood red.

"Do Not Open."

* * *

**In Front of an Older Looking House ~~~ Normal POV_**

"Looks like this is the place," Yasuhara said, looking at his notes, "The address seems to match up, but... this place looks a little worn down."

"Let's go. This place has not yet been abandoned," Masako said, walking up to the front door. Naru and Lin followed her.

"Alright, if you say so," Yasuhara replied.

Lin knocked on the door.

There was a short silence before a voice sounded, "I'm coming!" The voice sounded like a woman in her early 30s, and when the door was answered, the woman looked even younger.

And for some strange reason, Lin's eyes widened. He hadn't expected such a pretty face. Her eyes were hazel blue and her hair was a soft, light pink. She looked up at Lin, but she was only a foot or two shorter than him.

"How may I help you?" she asked with a kind voice.

Lin looked down at her neck and noticed the marks.

"Are you Mei Hatsukana," he asked, regaining his focus.

She hesitated at first, but then nodded slowly.

"May we ask you a few questions about your past?" he asked her.

She looked down, but said nothing for a while.

He waited patiently until she finally said, "No... I'm sorry, I can't... My apologies, but I'm going to ask you to leave now," she said this as she started to close the door, "I-"

She was interrupted by Lin, who stopped the door with this foot.

Mei looked up at him nervously.

"Please, it's important. We need to know some history, that's all. We won't ask anything too personal!" Yasuhara chimed in from behind Lin.

_Is he a... a high school student? _Mei asked herself in thought, _and isn't that Masako Hara? From TV? And who's that kid?_

Mei sighed, "Alright... Come in," she retreated and opened the door, "I'll go make some tea."

Naru's eyes widened as he thought to himself, _Tea? YAY! I mean, tea is nice... _

After settling down in the living room, they began the interrogation.

"If it's ok with you all, I'd like to start," Yasuhara said.

Naru, Lin, and Masako nodded.

Yasuhara pulled out a sheet of paper, looked over some notes, and then looked up at Mei.

"So, Miss Hatsukana," he looked at her with gentle eyes, "how many jobs have you had?"

"That's... a strange question... well let's see," she said quietly as she thought to herself, "I've had seven jobs."

"And of the seven, did you ever have to do something like babysitting? Perhaps life guarding?" he asked, hinting at the orphanage.

"Well, I..." she looked down, "Not _exactly..._"

"What do you mean by that?" he asked, fixing his glasses.

"I mean... not really, no..." she corrected herself.

"So you haven't done _anything __at all _with children?" Yasuhara's brows furrowed.

"Well... I did work with children more than a few times, but it was never really like babysitting," Mei looked down.

"And where did you do this job?" he asked.

"At an orphanage," she replied firmly.

Yasuhara nodded and leaned back in his chair.

"Does anyone else wanna go?" he asked.

"I will," Masako replied, "I only have a few."

Yasuhara nodded.

"Miss Hatsukana," Masako said calmly, "Did you notice anything odd or strange when you worked there? I mean with the children?"

"Well... there were a couple accidents, but... I wouldn't call them _strange,_" Mei answered.

"Hmm, I see. Did you ever notice anything unusual at night? Like, for instance, a painting moving or a vase just suddenly bursting?" she asked.

Mei looked down, her eyes shivering with uneasiness.

"No..."

"Are you sure?" Masako asked.

"Ye- ... No..." Mei covered her face.

"What did you see?" Masako asked.

"W- well... sometimes, at night... when I'd go upstairs to check on the kids... at the end of the hallway to the right, there would be a door. It... it would appear out of no where, and at day time, it wouldn't be there any more..." Mei said shakily.

Masako nodded and turned to Naru.

Naru cleared his throat and asked, "Did you ever try to open the door and go inside?"

Mei looked at him nervously and nodded. She bit her lip.

"What happened when you did?" he asked.

She was silent.

Naru stared at her intensely.

"I..." she said, her eyes wavering, "I... saw..."

"What did you see?" Naru asked.

"I can't say it!" she fell to her knees in tears. Another woman entered the room who had similar looks as Mei.

"What happened?" the woman asked, "What did you say to her?!"

"All I asked was-" Naru started, but she interrupted him, "No! I don't even want to hear it. I'm sick of people asking to come in only to make my sister cry! I'm sorry, but you have to leave. All of you. Now!"

Naru stared at her as she glared at him.

"I'm not sure if you're aware, but innocent children are dying. I'd like to know why, and I have reason to believe that your sister knows." Naru said.

Mei continued to sob as her sister's glare hardened.

"I don't care!" she shouted, "Just get out!"

"Please, calm dow-" Masako started, but she interrupted her, "Calm down? I don't think so! You're torturing my sister, and she can't handle it anymore!"

Lin stood up and walked over to the woman holding her sister.

He smacked her.

Her eyes widened with shock as she brought her hand up to her burning cheek.

"You don't understand how serious this is. If your sister can't talk, you can. I'm sure you know everything that she knows," Lin said firmly.

"You... smacked... me..." she shivered.

He didn't say anything.

"I'm calling the police!" she ran toward the phone, but Lin stopped her. Masako and Naru watched with blank expressions as Lin dragged her to the chair. Yasuhara was shocked at this, but then he went over to Mei to see if she was okay.

"Miss Hatsukana," he looked down at her, "Are you alright?"

She shook her head.

"You can leave if you want. We won't bother you any more," he promised.

She looked up at him, and every single bit of her expression showed that she was grateful.

He smiled.

"Thank you," she whispered.

He nodded and helped her up.

She turned to her sister and said, "Mayonaka, please, calm down."

Her sister looked up at her.

"You can tell them what I'm unable to say... I trust them..." Mei said softly.

Mayonaka, who was struggling before, loosened her muscles and allowed Lin to place her in the chair that Mei was once in.

"I'll be fine in my room, don't worry about me," Mei said.

Mayonaka nodded.

As Mei left, Lin sat back down in his seat.

"Now," Naru said, "You are going to tell us everything."

"Everything?" Mayonaka repeated.

"Everything."

* * *

**MusicMaker87: MUA HA HA HAAA! CLIFFY!**

**Mai: Why'd Naru have to go with her?!**

**MusicMaker87: Because I wanted him to :P**

**Masako: What, jealous?**

**Mai: NO!**

**Masako: He is mine, and there is nothing you can do about it.**

**Mai: * pouts ***

**Masako: He obviously just used the "I'd like to see what Mei has to say" to spend more time with me!**

**Mai: It's too bad...**

**Masako: What?**

**Mai: Too bad he actually has to _use _an excuse to be with you. **

**MusicMaker87: OK! That's enough! No more fighting!**

**Mai and Masako: Ok...**

**MusicMaker87: GOOD! Sorry again for not updating in a while, but I hope you enjoyed it! Another chapter soon to come! Well... hopefully soon. XP**

**~ MusicMaker87 :3**


	7. Part 7: Info, Info, and more Info!

**MusicMaker87: Hey guys! I updated pretty quickly, didn't I :3**

**Monk: Not bad, but you could've been faster.**

**MusicMaker87: XP Whatever! Before we start, I'm going to answer 14AmyChan's question. She basically asked what's going on with Lin? I honestly have no idea. He's kinda OOC, I'm sorry about that! Maybe he's going through something emotional that we don't know about :P **

**Lin: There's nothing wrong with me.**

**MusicMaker87: Don't try to hide it :3**

**Lin: ...**

**MusicMaker87: Hahaha! Well I'll try to work on the OOCness of my characters. For now, on to the Disclaimer!**

**~~~~~~~~Disclaimer: When I own Ghost Hunt, I'll actually enjoy writing analysis essays and stuff like that. Bleah!**

* * *

**Part Seven: Information, Information, and more Information!**

* * *

**At Mei's House ~~~ Normal POV_**

"So tell me," Naru looked at Mayonaka, "do you know where Mei got those markings from?"

"Wait, but don't you wanna know about the door?" Mayonaka looked at him with a confused face.

"We'll get back to that later. Answer my question," he stated firmly.

Mayonaka sighed, "Yes, I do know where she got them from."

"I noticed that the hand marks seem to be in a strange position. If someone was trying to suffocate her, the hand marks would probably have been in a different shape. Would you agree?" Naru asked.

"That's because she was doing it to herself," she answered.

Yasuhara blinked and leaned back in disbelief as he asked, "You mean... she was trying to..."

"Commit suicide," Naru finished his sentence, "What for?"

Mayonaka looked down and said, "She had to..."

* * *

**At Base ~~~ Normal POV_**

"It says Do Not Open," Mai replied to Ayako, who had asked her why she wasn't opening it yet.

"Let me see that," she went to grab it, but Mai pulled it away from her.

"Hold on," Mai said, "We have to be careful."

"I wasn't going to open it, I just wanted to see," Ayako replied.

"Oh," Mai said, handing the book to her.

"That's what it says alright... but there isn't any specific warning on it," she noted.

"What do you mean?" John asked curiously.

"I mean that, there's nothing that says I'll die if I open this. There is no threat," Ayako explained.

Monk nodded and added, "Which means that whoever wrote this book is either ashamed of it, or wants to spare us from reading it."

"Who wants to open it?" Ayako asked, holding up the small, black book.

"I think Mai should open it," Monk suggested.

"Hey! What makes you think I want to open it?" Mai shouted.

"I'll open it," John said.

Ayako placed the book in his hand. When he opened it, his brows furrowed.

"What does it say?" Monk asked.

John flipped through the pages rapidly until he reached the end.

"There's nothing but blank pages. Here, look," John said, handing the book over to Monk.

Monk looked at it.

"So we opened it for nothing?" he asked.

"Let me see," Ayako took it from him.

"Hey!" he shouted at her.

"What? It's not like you were _reading_ anything," she said.

"Can I see?" Mai asked.

"Hold on, Mai," Ayako replied.

Mai pouted.

Ayako flipped through the pages until she reached the end.

"There's nothing," she confirmed, handing the book to Mai.

Mai reopened it.

Her brows furrowed.

"What do you mean?" Mai asked.

"Huh?" Ayako looked at her.

"The pages aren't blank. There are words written on them in ink," Mai replied, pointing to the blank page that Ayako saw.

"I don't see anything, Mai," Ayako said.

"Looks like Mai's the only one who can see it," John noted.

"Just leave it to Mai to be special," Monk joked.

"So what, I'm not special?" Ayako asked.

"Well..." Monk started, but drifted off before he even said anything.

"Hmph," Ayako crossed her arms and looked away.

"I'm... sorry Ayako," Mai said.

"It's alright, I'm just acting like a child," Ayako replied, "Why don't you read for us?"

Mai looked at the book and nodded.

"It says... 'Dear Diary, my parents are now dead. I watched them die with my own eyes... I cried for a long time, too. Now I'm here, in an orphanage. I have no friends, and now I have no parents either. Just an old lady who's bad at taking care of us. I have to go eat dinner now. I hope it isn't as bad as the lady.'" Mai stopped.

"So it's a diary?" Ayako asked.

Mai nodded, "I guess so. The next entry says, 'Dear Diary, the food here is gross, but I'm starting to make a few new friends. They say that I'm not lucky because I came here. Later, they showed me a hiding place in a secret room, and they said that's where they go when the lady gets really mad. They said I can join them so I did.'"

"Man, how old do you think this kid is?" Monk asked curiously.

"It sounds like, maybe a six or seven year old?" Ayako asked.

"Keep on reading, Mai," John said.

Mai continued, "'Dear Diary, I got in trouble today because I couldn't finish my dinner. I'm so sorry. I feel like throwing up. I'll be right back... Dear Diary, I'm back. Sorry it took so long, but I had to throw up, and then the lady hurt me again and made me clean it up. We're in the hiding place right now. Me, you, Haru, and Mina. I have to go now, I'll talk to you later. Good night.'"

"Are these day after day entries?" Ayako asked.

Mai shook her head, "I don't think so. Each entry becomes neater and easier to read, and has better word choices."

Ayako nodded.

"The next one says, "'Dear Diary, I want to go home. I can't take it any longer. Mina is gone, and no one will tell me where she went. Now it's just me and Haru. I have to go. I'll write more later... Dear Diary, it's cold outside today. The lady made us go outside and shovel snow. I think I got frost bite. Haru dropped his shovel on his foot and now he is in the hospital. I wish I could see him, but the lady won't let me. I'm sick of this place, and I just want to go home...'"

Mai paused.

"Why'd you stop?" Monk asked.

"Because... this next one... is written in blood..." Mai said shakily.

* * *

**At Mei's House ~~~ Normal POV_**

"Be more specific," Naru said, "Why did she have to?"

"Because... The lady... She was threatening her. She wouldn't let her leave." Mayonaka said.

Naru's eyes narrowed, "What did she do exactly?"

"She threatened to hurt her if she left. She said she would track my sister down and kill her for running away a second time," she answered.

"What happened the first time?" Naru asked.

"The lady found her... and she beat her," she said.

"What was this lady's name?" he asked.

"All I know is that her last name is the same name of the orphanage that Mei worked at... the Katomata orphanage," she said.

_But... she's so nice... how could this be possible? _Yasuhara asked himself in thought.

"Three children died on the same day that she suffocated herself," Naru said, "Isn't that true?"

She nodded, "Yes, but it had nothing to do with her. She told me that right when she was about to go unconscious, three children walked carelessly into the lake until their heads were completely under water. She also said it was the last thing she saw until she blacked out."

"Hmm... Alright," Naru said, "So what happened with the door?"

"Well... before the day she tried to, you know... she would see this door, every night she went up to check on the kids-"

"Before you go on," Yasuhara suddenly interrupted her, "I'm sorry... But I was wondering... What exactly _was_ her job at the orphanage? She said earlier that it had nothing to do with babysitting or life guarding."

"That's because it didn't. Her job was to punish the bad children... and in the lady's eyes, all of them are bad..." Mayonaka explained.

Yasuhara's brows furrowed, "... Well, you can continue..."

"As I was saying," she said, "Whenever she went to check on the kids at night, a door would mysteriously appear at the end of the hallway to the right. She never told me how, but she said that the door seemed out of place, like it didn't belong there, and yet it looked just like every other door in the hallway."

"Interesting," Masako said, "Do you think you could tell us what happened when she opened the door?"

"Yes... when she finally built up the bravery to, she opened the door. When she did, it was a horrifying sight. She saw a young girl, coloring in a book with a red crayon. When the girl dropped the crayon, though, it became a liquid. It looked like blood... The girl began to bleed as well, and she crawled towards the window, pulled herself up, and jumped out." Mayonaka replied.

There was a short silence before Mayonaka continued, "She told me that... after she saw what she saw, she blinked once, and there was nothing but a wall. Then she began to hear cries that echoed through the hallway. After that, she rushed down the hallway and called it a night. And even though she couldn't sleep, she never left her bed that night. The cries of that girl seemed to echo in her mind."

"Alright, I think we have enough information," Yasuhara said, "We've asked enough."

"I have one more question," Naru said.

Yasuhara sighed at his failed attempt to leave. He wasn't afraid, he just felt sorry for the two women that they had to repeat themselves so many times for other questioners who'd come by.

"What is Mei's real name, and how old is she?" Naru asked her.

Mayonaka looked at him, her eyes wavering.

"How did you know...?" she asked uneasily.

"I'm very observant. Now please, answer my question." Naru said.

"You can't tell anyone... but Mei's real name, is Mina... and she's twenty-five now." Mayonaka said.

"And you're her friend?" Naru asked.

She looked down and replied, "Yes."

"Thank you for your time," Naru said, standing up and shaking her hand. They were about to leave when she asked, "You promise you won't tell anyone?"

Naru looked at her and nodded.

"You have our word," Yasuhara said formally.

"Thank you," she said.

They closed the door behind them.

* * *

**MusicMaker87: Sorry I ended it here! Or am I? :3**

**Monk: Come on! I need to know what the diary says next.**

**Mai: It's written in blood... so it's sort of hard to read.**

**MusicMaker87: Don't worry, she'll read it in the next chapter! Thanks for reading!**

**~ MusicMaker87 :3**


	8. Part 8: Kidnap!

**MusicMaker87: Hey guys! Merry late Christmas! HAPPY EARLY NEW YEAR! 2014! Sorry I've been so busy lately, but here's another update!**

**Mai: Great!**

**Monk: Awesome**

**MusicMaker87: Thanks for the support :3 By the way, I'm doing something new to the chapters. I'm going to add summaries of the previous chapter in the beginning of this chapter, and I'm going to do the same thing with the other chapters. I hope this makes sense!**

**Mai: ... Ummm...**

**Naru: Should I explain? For Mai's sake, of course.**

**MusicMaker87: Well, sure why not.**

**Naru: MusicMaker87 is going to create a summary for each chapter and put it in the next chapter so that when people go to read the next chapter, they don't have to go back and reread everything else. **

**Mai: * pout * yeah, I get it. I'm not an idiot, ya know.**

**MusicMaker87: We know :3 NOW ON TO THE SUMMARY!**

**_SUMMARY OF PREVIOUS CHAPTER (Part 7: Info, Info, and more Info!):_****_After Mei left the room, Mayonaka, Mei's sister, is interrogated. Naru suddenly changes subject, asking Mayonaka where Mei got the hand marks from. He says that they are in a weird position. Mayonaka nods and explains that Mei was choking herself. Meanwhile, back at base, the book that Mai found is opened, even though it said not to open it. They find out that it was once a diary that belonged to a young child whose name remains unknown, and that this mystery writer has two friends named Haru and Mina._**

**_Mai reads more, and they learn that this child is being abused by someone called "The Lady" who happens to be the owner of the "Katomata Orphanage." Then Mai stops because the next entry is written in blood._**

**_Continuing with the interrogation, we learn that Mei was being threatened by Miss Katomata. Mei's real job was to punish the children at the orphanage. We also learn that when Mei opened the strange door at the end of the hall, she saw a young girl who died in that room. Then it is revealed that Mei's real name is Mina, and that she's twenty-five years old. Naru, Yasuhara, Lin and Masako thank Mayonaka, and before they leave, Yasuhara makes a promise that he won't reveal who "Mei" really is. They start heading back to base._**

**MusicMaker87: Oh my! What will happen next?! Find out after the DISCLAIMER!**

**~~~~~~~Disclaimer: When I own Ghost Hunt, it will rain hypo-allergenic cats ('cause I'm allergic xP)**

* * *

**Part 8: Kidnap!**

* * *

**Normal POV_**

Mai squinted her eyes.

"It's kinda blurry," Mai said, trying to make out the words that lied on the page in red.

"... you said blood?" Ayako asked.

Mai nodded, "That's what it looks like."

"Let me see that," Ayako took it from her, and then realized again that she couldn't read it, "Oh, that's right." She handed it back to Mai and sighed.

"Just try to do your best Mai," John said, "we're all counting on you to tell us what it says."

"Alright, I'll try," Mai said, bringing the book closer to herself, "It says... -"

"We're back," Yasuhara said as he opened the door to the room, cutting Mai off, "Did you get it to open?"

"Yeah, but..." Monk started, but Yasuhara took it from Mai's hands before he had a chance to explain.

"Wait... where are the words?" he asked suddenly.

"Like I was about to say, only Mai can read it," Monk said.

"Oh... that's weird," Yasuhara shrugged his shoulders and handed it back to Mai, "Well?"

Naru walked over to her, knelt down beside her, and looked at the book.

"What does it say, Mai?" he asked.

He was obviously close, making Mai nervous and Masako jealous.

Masako glared at them.

"It... it says..." Mai started again, but this time Masako interrupted, "Hold on. I want to see it."

Mai's brows furrowed as Masako took it out of her hands.

She looked through the pages.

"I don't know what you guys are talking about. What's this nonsense about this book not having any words in it? I can read it too," Masako said, closing the book and handing it out to Naru, who didn't take it.

"Well, what does it say?" Monk asked.

"Oh?" Masako brought the book back to herself and looked through it, "Ohh, well what page were you on Mai?"

"I was about to read the last entry," Mai said.

"Oh," She said, flipping the pages, "Let me see..."

Mai pouted.

"Aha!" Masako exclaimed, "It says... ... It says..."

Mai bit her lip in annoyance

"Well?" Naru looked at her.

Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead as her eyes darted from Naru to the book.

"It... says... I don't know, I can't read this hand writing. It's too messy," Masako said, closing the book and handing it back to Mai. Mai flipped the pages back to the last entry.

"Can you _really_ see the letters too, Masako?" John asked curiously.

"Ha, I doubt it," Ayako said, looking at her nails, "If I can't see them then she _definitely _can't see them either."

"Oh? And what makes you so sure?" Masako asked.

"I'm not in the mood to start an argument with a spoiled brat," Ayako said, turning away from the TV star.

"Spoiled?! You're one to talk!" Masako growled and was about to say something else when Naru shushed them, "Be quiet."

The room became extremely silent.

Naru turned to Mai and said, "Read."

Mai squinted her eyes and said, "Dear Diary... This... is the l- last? The last straw. I am done.. with this life. I have nothing left... to live for... Haru is.. gone and.. I can't find Mina.. an- anywhere. I can't take it anymore. Goodbye, my precious ... friend. I will cherish... cherish every moment I ... ever shared with you... Whether it was... hiding from ... The Lady, or... sneaking.. out to get... food, I will miss you. Goodbye... my friend, Goodbye."

"Is that it?" Naru asked.

"There's a signature, but I can't really read it," Mai said, "But other than that, that's it."

"Hmm... whoever this was, he or she mentioned the name Mina," Naru said, looking at Masako and Yasuhara, "Which means that Mei must've known this person before he or she died."

Masako and Yasuhara nodded.

"It's a girl." Mai stated.

"How do you know?" Yasuhara asked curiously.

"Because, I saw her," Mai said, "when I opened that door."

The room was silent again.

"In your dream, right?" Monk asked.

Mai nodded.

"I think I saw her too," Ayako said, her eyes closed so she wouldn't have to look at anyone, "On the first night we were here, I saw a child... She was covered in blood and bruises." Ayako looked at Mai.

Mai nodded.

"Then we'll just have to get some more information on her from Miss Katomata, right?" Yasuhara asked.

"Not just yet," Naru said, "Let's work out the information we got from Mei and her friend, and the information from this book first."

They nodded and got to work, sharing the knowledge that they gained. They put pieces together and came up with possible solutions, but the only way to complete a puzzle is with all the pieces. Soon, they would know every single last detail of the case, but can they get the info before it's too late?

* * *

**MusicMaker87: OH MY! We'll find out in the next chapter!**

**Monk: What? You're ending it here?!**

**Mai: Why are you stopping here?**

**MusicMaker87: Hey, who ever said I was stopping it? I just said they'd find out in the next chapter or so, because the next part isn't so informationy. **

**Ayako: Is that even a word?**

**Masako: It is not.**

**MusicMaker87: I don't care! Moving on! KEEP READING MY PEOPLE! :3**

* * *

**Mai's POV_**

By the time we all finished sharing our information, it was already time for supper. Right as we finished, there was a knock at the door. Yasuhara kindly answered it.

Miss Katomata stepped into the room and told us that dinner would be ready in a few minutes or so, and that she hoped that we'd like it. Then, as usual, she went on and on about how grateful she is to have us here and how she wished she could do something special for us.

Naru finally calmed her down and thanked her for letting us know.

She smiled and swiftly stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her.

"I guess we should stop here then," Masako decided.

"Sounds good to me. I'm starving!" Monk commented.

"I hope the food is good," John said, "Not that I didn't .. like yesterday's dinner..."

I noticed the slight sarcasm in his voice as he spoke. In my mind, I had to agree with him. The food here isn't as good as it should be, even though it _is _an orphanage and the food isn't always _that_ great.

"Let's head down then," I smiled.

The boys smiled back at me and we started for the door. Then I noticed Naru was sitting in his chair, looking almost as immovable as a statue.

"Mai, are you comin'?" Monk asked.

"I'll be there in a sec," I said, "Go on without me."

"Alright!" they said, rushing down the stairs and towards the kitchen.

I walked over to Naru and placed my hands firmly on the desk, leaning over to look at him. His eyes that were once fixated on the tea-stained desk were now looking up at me.

"Are you going to eat?" I asked.

"I don't have to," he replied in his usual 'I-don't-care-leave-me-alone' voice. He looked down at the pile of papers that lied on the desk.

I pouted, "Come on! You have to eat or else you'll get sick!"

"I'm not feeling very well." he said.

"Oh... I didn't know, sorry. Do you need anything?" I asked, suddenly changing my attitude. How was I supposed to know he was already sick?! It's kind of hard to tell with his naturally pale skin!

"No, I'm fine," he said, "thanks."

"For what?" I asked.

"Hm?" he looked up at me.

"I mean, why'd you say thanks?" I asked curiously.

"Would you rather me not to say 'thanks'?" he asked.

"Well... no, I... was just wondering," I said nervously.

He sighed, "Because you asked."

"Oh, hahah," I scratched the back of my head, "It's no big deal really!"

"Hmph," he looked back down.

"Well... I'm gonna go eat then, are you sure you don't want anything?" I asked again.

"I'm sure..." he answered.

"Ok," I said, turning and heading out the door. I gently closed it behind me and headed for the stairs... but...

I stopped in my tracks.

_Why? _I asked myself in thought, _Why me? Why do _I_ always have to see the creepy stuff?_

There, at the very end of the hallway, was...

You guessed it.

The door.

Just like any other door...

Except this one didn't belong there.

It doesn't exist, it never will exist.

My eyes wavered. I stepped backward.

_Wait... what is that? _I thought to myself as I squinted my eyes to see if I could make it out.

Everything became blurry all of a sudden. My vision was failing me, and as I looked down the dark hallway, I saw a pair of sad eyes. I started to see doubles, even triples, of everything. The walls, the candle holders, the unlit candles themselves; all of them were at least doubled.

But not the eyes.

There were only two eyes.

I shook my head in disbelief.

This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't!

I tried to scream, but nothing came out. I could feel the scream in my throat, yet there was no sound.

My vision worsened as the eyes came closer.

"WHY!" I shouted. I couldn't even hear my own thoughts anymore.

Before everything went black, the only thing I heard was this:

"I'm... sorry... Mai..."

And then nothing.

* * *

**MusicMaker87: Oooo! MAI GOT KIDNAPPED BY A GHOST OH NO! **

**Monk: Man, this food sucks!**

**John: I don't mean to be rude, but honestly... it isn't very good.**

**Monk: They need a new chef!**

**Ayako: I'd make a better chef than that loser!**

**Masako: Really? I don't think the food is that bad.**

**John, Monk, and Ayako: WHAT?**

**MusicMaker87: Guys! Did you even hear what I just said!**

**John, Monk, Ayako, and Masako: About what?**

**MusicMaker87: About Mai!**

**Monk: What did you say?**

**MusicMaker87: Too bad! I can't tell you!**

**Ayako: What? Why not?**

**Masako: That is not very nice.**

**John: Is it a secret?**

**Monk: Is it a dirty secret?**

**MusicMaker87: Ok, NO! and sorry guys, you'll have to figure it out in the next chapter! MUA HA HA HA!**

**~ MusicMaker87 :3**


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